Application to The Last Resort

[couragerising]

Player Information
Your name/pseudonym: Rachel/railise
Are you 18 or older at the time of this application? yep
What gender pronouns do you prefer?: feminine
Your email: railise79 at gmail dot com
Your chat handles: AIM - railise
Do you currently have any other characters in this game? If so, please list them here: Robin Hood (BBC)
Applying for: Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)

Character Information
Name: Arthur Pendragon
Nickname/aliases: my lord or Sire; not dollophead or clotpole
Canon (e.g. Harry Potter/Firefly/Star Trek): Merlin
Canon Type (e.g. book, movie, television show, play)?: television show
Character's journal: couragerising

Brief history of your character: (Spoilers for series 1-4 of Merlin within.)
When King Uther and Queen Ygraine of Camelot were unable to conceive, Uther sought out the help of the sorceress Nimueh in his desperation for an heir to continue the Pendragon line. Whilst he got the son he wanted, it cost Ygraine her life; according to the laws of magic, the balance of life had to be restored, with one life being taken for another to be given. Grief-stricken and thirsty for revenge, Uther struck out at anyone who used magic, outlawing it and instigating The Great Purge, in which all magic users he could round up were put to death.

This meant several things for Arthur, personally. The most personal repercussion, and one which is usually a closely-held secret, was that he has always felt a gaping absence in his life where his mother should be, which was exacerbated by Uther's refusal to speak of her. In the larger scheme of things, Arthur was raised to detest and fight magic, as everyone in Camelot subsequently was. Lastly, his upbringing was entirely in the hands of his father, a warrior-king. As Arthur himself once said, he was "trained to kill since birth," and that's not much of an exaggeration. Uther saw to it that Arthur was well educated, but combat training was always the most important of his lessons. By the time he was twelve, he was besting men several years older than himself.

By the time he was sixteen, he was the champion of most tournaments in which he took part. Nor was his skill proven solely through formal challenges; he was also leading the elite knights of Camelot. Through serving with them and eventually leading them, he gained experience he needed as the threats to Camelot grew ever more dire.

The year that he turned twenty-one, his social circle shifted. Whereas before, his friends were almost entirely knights, and whilst he would not use the word "friend" to describe his new manservant Merlin, that is what the young man soon became to him. Over the years, he came to trust Merlin more than almost anyone, and often seeks his counsel. Alternately, Arthur had known a maidservant called Guinevere for a long time, but it was not until that year that he actually got to know her. Before long, that acquaintanceship had grown into love. They did their best to deny it at first, due to the hopelessness of their class situation, yet Arthur knew that their feelings were too genuine to be ignored. Despite his being enchanted to think he was in love with another woman, to his father almost forcing him into a political marriage, and even to Guinevere being framed for enchanting him and thus nearly being burnt at the stake, he remained devoted to her, even though they had to hide it for a few years.

Another of his closest friends, the lady whom Gwen served, was turned into his fiercest enemy. Raised as Uther's ward since they were children, Morgana was like a sister to Arthur. Before he came to know and trust Merlin and Guinevere, Morgana was his closest confidante, and still remained as such even after his friendships with them grew. However, he discovered that she was Uther's daughter--and thus, actually his half-sister-- at about the same time that he learned she was no longer his friend. In fact, she wanted him and Uther dead, so that she might take over the throne of Camelot. She nearly succeeded in that attack, but through Arthur's strength of leadership and the help of his few personal friends and allies, the kingdom was saved. Uther's sanity, however, was not. Heartbroken by Morgana's hatred, the king became barely able to function, leaving Arthur to assume the leadership of Camelot.

For more than a year, Arthur led Camelot, keeping his father informed of what was going on in the kingdom, but that all changed on his last birthday. An assassin attempted to him; Uther managed to save him, but was mortally wounded in the process. Despite his father's teachings, Arthur had never believed that all those who practiced magic were evil, and after a lot of consideration, sought the help of an old sorcerer to save the king's life. The spell accomplished the exact opposite, leaving Uther dead and Arthur reeling from having lost both parents to magic. (Some months later, he learned that the old sorcerer actually had tried his best to help and that the wound had simply been too much, but he previously had been led to believe otherwise.)

Being king has not come easily to Arthur. He knows how to lead, yet does not have the faith in himself that those closest to him and the people of Camelot do. One thing he has done well is to listen to the advice of those around him, from the court physician Gaius (a contemporary of Uther's and also Merlin's guardian), to Guinevere and Merlin, and his knights, as well. He also listened carefully to the counsel offered by his maternal uncle, Agravaine, who came to Camelot upon Uther's infirmity. They were close for Arthur's entire life, so Arthur trusted him implicitly as an adviser. In yet another betrayal by a loved one, Arthur just discovered that Agravaine was working for Morgana the entire time, undermining him and Camelot through the advice he offered.

Nor was that the only betrayal he had experienced recently. After enough time had passed to settle into his new role as king, Arthur finally proposed to Guinevere. The night before their wedding was to take place, he discovered her in the arms of Lancelot, one of his knights, for whom Arthur knew she had feelings before in the past. Arthur would never have her executed, as she would have been under Uther's reign, but he did banish her from the kingdom.

Meanwhile, he has been confronted with his failings since becoming king-- both old failings and new ones. At Agravaine's urging, Arthur personally executed the king of Caerleon, plunging Camelot to the brink of war with Queen Annis. And, he was nearly killed when Elyan (one of his knights, as well as Guinevere's brother) was possessed by the spirit of a Druid boy who, with many others, had been killed on one of the first raids Arthur had ever led. Both times, it was only through humility and a willingness to sacrifice himself for the kingdom that Arthur saved Camelot and himself. Moreover, he made a promise to the spirit, that he would see to it that the Druids regained respect, which was no small promise considering his history with magic.

Morgana made another successful attempt to overtake Camelot, about two years after her first attempt, which was when Arthur learned of Agravaine's treachery. Arthur and most of his allies were driven from the kingdom, and with the derision of a smuggler he met along the way ringing in his ears, he began to doubt that he was worthy of the throne. Merlin shared with him a legend regarding a sword apparently placed in a stone by one of Arthur's ancestors, which was intended to prove a true king of Camelot. With the survivors of Morgana's attempt gathered around and to his own utter astonishment, Arthur managed to draw the blade from the stone, but only after he found the belief within himself that he deserved to do so. Following that, he led his handful of followers in a bid to retake Camelot, which they managed to achieve.

During the week he was away from Camelot, Arthur was reunited with Guinevere, but still forced himself to keep her at arm's length. At the end of the battle to reclaim the kingdom, he witnessed a man lose his beloved, and realized that he could not bear it if he lost Guinevere forever. His love for her had not faded (had even prevented him from making a political marriage, which his father had always encouraged), and he could not live without her by his side. They were married scant days later, and he crowned her his queen the day after the wedding. It is as they are exiting the throne room following her coronation that he will arrive on the island.

Brief synopsis of your character's personality:
Being the sole heir to the kingdom, presented as a paragon of knighthood, and being good-looking into the mix, has contributed to giving Arthur an overly healthy ego. While it did not endear him to some people, especially those who were socially beneath him, when he was younger, it fit well with his peers at that time. It was only through his friendships with Merlin, Guinevere, and Morgana before she turned against him, that Arthur began to learn humility. That is an ongoing life lesson for him, and one which is evident at some times more than others.

Also due to his upbringing, he knows how to comport himself with the dignity befitting a king, and is at ease in handling most social situations. And, in keeping with his fight training as well as simply based on his own personal inclinations, he's very physical, a man of action.

All of that, while not an act, does also serve to mask some deep-seated underlying insecurities. For most of his life, Arthur has been expected to live up to his father while deferring to him, which were not easily compatible situations; if he succeeded too well in one direction, it was likely that he had failed in the other. His mistakes or defeats often reflected not only on Arthur, but also on Uther and the whole of Camelot-- and Uther did not let him forget it. Whether his father berated him or conveyed understanding seemed random sometimes, and the constant uncertainty did nothing to help Arthur feel any more secure. Whilst his father may now be gone, those reactions remain deeply rooted within Arthur.

Regardless, he does have complete confidence in his ability in a fight. Because of that confidence, losses can shake him at first, but he recovers soon enough. And, if the root of his success is a continued drive to prove himself, he's not aware of it.

A lot of his behavior is reflective of the knights' code, which he takes very seriously. Honor and nobility of character are not things he has to work at; they come to him naturally. His word is his bond, and he is devoted to the protection of Camelot; and he will hold to those principles even if the result is his death. He may tend to show off, and he has a healthy sense of humor, but at his center he's fairly pensive.

Despite his intelligence and thoughtfulness, he can miss things that are right in front of his face. His own depth of honor and honesty leads him to expect the same of others, occasionally making unwise decisions because of misplaced trust. Morgana and, later, Agravaine managed to fool him completely; he had no idea of their deception, and he has taken the betrayal doubly hard because he feels that he should have noticed some warning sign. That he is so honest and straightforward is both one of his greatest strengths and weaknesses; it makes him the good man and king that he is, but also opens him up to betrayal.


Stats
Age: 25
Appearance: Tall, muscular from a lifetime of training, with the blond hair and blue eyes of his mother. He dresses well, as befits his station, but not with any particular flash. He has a silver ring of his mother's which he regularly wears on his left pointer finger, and occasionally wears a silver bracelet or a pair of leather cuffs, as well as a simple pendant now and then. He's usually wearing his armor, and wears the red cloak of the knights of Camelot when on official business.
Icon:
What skills/abilities does your character have? Arthur's a highly skilled fighter with various medieval weaponry, and an able military commander and political leader; no superpowers.

Game Information
What is the point of your character's canon in which you are introducing your character? Just after the end of 4x13
Is your character alive or dead at the point of entry to the game? alive, and with a couple of broken ribs on his left side
Your character will find 10 personal items in their room that the island has placed there. You may only include things that your character would have canonically. Please list them here:

1. Excalibur


2. his chair


3. his weapons rack


4. the favor Guinevere gave him in 2x02


5. his horse (will appear at the farm with its gear)


6. Uther's tournament sword


7. his stolen clothes from 4x12


8. a string with pieces of fabric tied to it


9. a lead-lined box containing a goblin


10. his lute

Entrance post:

Who: Arthur and open
What: What, indeed??
Where: the chicken coop at the farm
When: late afternoon

Arthur had never been happier in his life. After five years and so many obstacles, yesterday Guinevere had finally become his wife; and, as of a few minutes ago, was also his queen. As they walked toward the doors of the throne room following her coronation, her hand tucked into his elbow, he felt like he was walking on air. From here, they were having a feast in her honor, a celebration that would go well into the night, both in the palace and in the streets of the town. He smiled over at her just before they passed through the doors at the end of the room, beginning to let his mind wander about what would come after the feast--

--and suddenly, he was waking up amongst the smell of pine and... something else. And, there was a sound all around him, to which he had never awoken before. Opening his eyes, he realized he was on a floor. He flew to his feet, catching his crown as it began to slide off his head and reaching for his sword-- which was not there. He had not felt the need to wear even his ceremonial sword for Guinevere's coronation, much less the one he had drawn from the stone. It was a day of peace, especially now with Morgana defeated, and being unarmed had seemed like a positive gesture.

Now, he gave that gesture new consideration. Whilst he had no memory of being attacked and no pain that would result from having been knocked out, clearly he had been abducted and left in a... was this a chicken coop?! There were chickens and nests, so despite some very odd-looking items around the room, he guessed it was a fair assumption.

But, where was Guinevere? If he had been taken, he had no doubt that she had been, as well, although she was evidently being held elsewhere. Glancing around, he snagged a rake off the wall in lieu of an actual weapon, and crept toward the open door to peer outside.

He was apparently on a decent sized-farm; although the buildings looked quite strange, there was no mistaking the nature of this place. On alert for any sign of a guard, Arthur cautiously made his way to the nearest building, which he found to be deserted. Likewise, he ran into no one along his way to what turned out to be a barn, where he was pleasantly surprised to find his horse and riding gear, in addition to a handful of other animals.

By the time he had searched the entire area, he was convinced that he was alone. Alone, and with no idea where he was; he had never seen anyplace like this before. It could not be too far from Camelot, yet it was like nowhere he had ever been. But, no matter. His first priority was finding Guinevere, and they would make their way home once he had located her. Before anything else, he would take another look around the coop in which he had been left; perhaps he had missed a hidden room where she was being kept.

Whilst the search did not reveal his wife, it did net him a parchment that he had overlooked earlier. His name was written on the front and it was very well sealed; when he got it open, he found a key and a crudely-drawn map inside. The whole situation felt like a trap, yet he was not making any progress by standing here. At least, the map showed him a way off the farm, so he followed it into a cave tunnel, eventually emerging near what seemed to be an enormous, highly decorated house.